Dish It Up: When fall gives you apples, make applesauce

Fill the pot with different varieties of apples; they will cook down, allowing easier mushing and then milling into applesauce. / Joe Horn/For the RGJ

I love fall. I love the sharp, smoky scent of wood burning fireplaces, waking up after their long spring and summer slumber. I love heaps of winter squash and gourds, with their dusty, earth-toned skins. I love the meaty fragrance of a roast braising in the oven, and the crunchy sound of fallen leaves underfoot as I walk the panting pooches, my ears covered against the cold, their breath visible in warm staccato puffs.

But the fall smell I love the most is the fragrance of ripe, rosy apples piled high or gathered in wooden crates. Last week, I picked up a few cases (OK, six cases) of different varieties from a customer and friend whose family has an orchard in Idaho.

I got excited as I loaded them into the Subaru, imagining the many dishes I could create: apple crisp, apple pie, apple and goat cheese salad, fig jam and apple sandwich with sharp cheddar, roasted butternut squash and apple soup, and my best loved of all, applesauce. I unloaded my haul into the storeroom at Dish Café and picked out a dozen beauties to take home. Applesauce awaited.

Serve applesauec cold or warm or give as a gift in Mason jars. / Joe Horn/For the RGJ

Kid friendly

My mother made applesauce for us when we were kids. She used varieties of red apples and kept the peels on. She used a food mill for that smooth texture, and the peels gave the sauce a rosy hue. Most nights that she made applesauce, she also would cook a pork roast. The house would fill with the savory aroma of onions and roasting pork mixed with the sweet spiciness of simmering apples. A slice of roast pork, dipped in dark oniony gravy, with a spoonful of warm, pink applesauce on top, offers the perfect fall bite.

Applesauce is so easy a child can make it. When he was little, my son Jacob asked me to make it with him on chilly weekend afternoons. We’d putter around the house, working a puzzle or having our “toes time” snuggled in stocking feet under a puffy quilt, watching a movie as we waited for the apples to simmer and soften. Then, I’d fill the food mill, and Jacob would turn the crank. We’d place the warm sauce into little glass bowls and eat it spoonful by spoonful, nodding at our good life.

Applesauce is great on its own, but it’s also a beautiful thing to stir into pancakes, waffles, yogurt and smoothies. Applesauce crowns pork roast, loin or chops like nothing else can. Swap out oil for applesauce when you bake cakes, muffins and quick breads. Or give a friend a jar of this gorgeous homemade bounty.

Handy mill

All you need is apples, a bit of cinnamon, vanilla and maybe some brown sugar. I try to give you recipes that don’t require special equipment, but this time, I’m making an exception. You’ll need a food mill. I love the Foley food mill, which has a simple crank and scraper, with a screw to make cleaning a snap. There are models with different sieves and detachable blades, but I’ve found the simple, basic one is best and most reliable. You can buy a food mill at kitchen stores or in the housewares department; last week, I saw one in Savers.

A food mill lets you be lazy: no peeling, no coring. A food mill also is a great tool for making soups, gnocchi, and fruit or vegetable purées. I love using my food mill to purée and peel canned tomatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, then just peel your apples and cube them before you start (then smash them later with a potato masher).

Make this applesauce this weekend, or if you get antsy, make it tonight and serve warm or cold. Store applesauce in the fridge in clean Mason jars or freeze in freezer bags.

FAVORITE APPLESAUCE

12 or more apples, all different varieties, or use the kind you like (I used Jonagolds and a few red ones) 1 cup water or organic apple juice Pinch salt Vanilla extract Freshly ground nutmeg Ground cinnamon Maybe some brown sugar

If you are using a food mill, simply wash the apples, then quarter and core them and throw them into a large pot like a Dutch oven or stockpot. If you’re not using a food mill, wash and peel the apples, then quarter and core them and add to the pot. I like to fill the pot to the brim with apples. They will soften and reduce, so don’t worry about adding too much.

Add water or the apple juice and start the heat on high. Put the lid on and wait for the boil. Once boiling, take the lid off and start smooshing the apples down with a big spoon while they soften. Give a smoosh and a stir every so often, until all of the apple pieces are soft and smooshy. Remove from heat.

Set up a large bowl and hook the food mill onto the side. Fill the mill with several spoonfuls of apple slush. Crank and refill until all of the apples are processed. If you don’t have a food mill, I’ve found that a potato masher does the job pretty well. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt, a touch of vanilla, and some fresh nutmeg and cinnamon, to taste.

If the sauce is sweet enough, skip the brown sugar. I did not add any this time. If you’re using tart apples, you might need to add up to 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Serve. Yields about 8 pints.

Local chef Nancy Horn writes a weekly column for the RGJ’s Wednesday Food and Drink section. Find more at www.dishcafecatering.com or follow her on twitter @nancydishingup or on Facebook by searching for DISH Cafe & Catering Company.